30 Years in 30 Days: Day 9- The Son
Michael Leonard Bias was born in the summer of 1986, some two weeks after Len Bias died. A DNA test has never been done, and the Bias family has not responded to requests for interviews. But Derrick Curry, a friend of the Bias family and a teammate of Jay Bias at Northwestern High School, says someone close to the family told him about five years ago that they know Len has a son.
Michael Leonard Bias potentially represents the most intimate element of the mixed legacy of Len Bias, a connection that extends beyond a similar bloodline and shared genes. The life of Michael Bias, like that of Len Bias, has been greatly affected by drugs, which have contributed to Michael Bias accumulating a lengthy criminal record and living a misdirected life. He spoke calmly as he sat in a chair on the secured side of the visitors area at the Anne Arundel County Detention Center during a conversation in July 2011. Through a window, his face looked eager as he talked about Len Bias as his father. Michael made it clear that the most important thing he wants from the Bias family is recognition.
He has spent much of his adulthood so far incarcerated for crimes that range from driving without a license in 2004 to an incident in February 2008 when he was charged with armed robbery and reckless endangerment. He was sentenced to probation on the condition that he enter therapy. Michael says that he wants to try to enter a therapy program for the second time. “Everything has been a struggle, financially, emotionally,” he says. “It’s been a tough break for me all my life. It’s been a jinx from when I was born because he died.”***Addendum: Tina Maynard is Michael's mom and she mentioned to Dave Ungrady upon seeing the birth certificate pictured to the left, that they had the wrong middle name for Len as the father on the birth certificate. Len's middle name was "Kevin", not "Kenneth." She was in the process of submitting it for correction.
Excerpted from the book, Born Ready: the Mixed Legacy of Len Bias
Learn about the Born Ready Project that teaches life skills, using Len’s legacy as a teaching tool.
9 Seasons Before: 1977-78, Celtics fail to qualify for playoffs
9 Seasons After: 1994-95, Celtics lose in opening round of Eastern Conference playoffs
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